Settling Down

Dara 15-24; next holiday, Darkest Day, Dara 35.

The Party:

• Rig Bigny, Gnomish Beastmaster
  • Flit, the bat familiar
  • Clench, the Wardog War-Badger
  • Midnight, the Panther
  • Noona, the Lion
  • Faufe Yitaw, Dogwere (Badgerwere?)
    • Rawf, Wardog familiar
    • Aroof, Wardog familiar
  • Llarm Paphyra, Elvish Polydoctorate
    • The Metal Man, construct
• Caranthir, Human Leader of Men
  • Rhea Trueheart, Elvish Nightblade
  • Lucille "Luce" Burwood, Fighter
  • Elenora Garrard, White Mage
  • Gimli Trollriver, Dwarven Fury
• Gróin of Norston, Dwarven Sapper
  • Laurita Gomez, Priestess
• Quetgar, Thrassian Assassin
  • Zarc, Thrassian Gladiator
• Sorvald, Thief
• Mor Gibs, the Wonderworker

Sorvald, meanwhile, was back at the tower. While everyone else was leaning of dead gods and fighting various creatures, he was whiling away his time lifting items from low-level mages as they wandered past. He managed to swipe 18 +1 arrows, 1500 silver pieces, and 3 sardonyx worth 225. After two days of boredom, he received a rather garbled message from Quetgar - the party was in Mareten! Sighing, he went upstairs to talk with the mages, and managed to find someone who was willing to teleport him, his friendly lizardman, and the carts to Mareten. Luckily, he made it in one piece - and where he was supposed to be, too! On his way inside, he met a strange fellow who called him by name, and handed him a coin - silver on one side, electrum on the other (as it turned out, that man was Loki, keeping an eye on the party; the coin would grant Sorvald either +5 or -5 to all his actions for the rest of the day).

While Quetgar sent a message, the others worked on finding what items they had gathered. Apart from a ring and a staff, the items were:

• Potion of Gaseous Form
• Oil of Slipperiness (Sorvald grabbed it)
• Potion of Undead Control
• Potion of Water Breathing
• 2 Potions of ESP
• Potion of Extra-Healing (Caranthir took it)
• Potion of Flying (Caranthir took it)
• Potion of Healing
• Potion of Healing (Caranthir took it)
• Scroll of Ward against Elementals
• Scroll of Ward against Lycanthropes
• Scroll of Ward against Undead
• Scroll of Divine Spells (Written in Elven): Protection from Evil* (1st lvl), Create Water (4th lvl)
• Scroll of Divine Spells (Written in Elven): Purify Food and Water (1st lvl), Augury (2nd lvl)
• Scroll of Arcane Spells (Written in Dwarven): Confusion (4th lvl), Ventriloquism (1st lvl)
• Scroll of Arcane Spells (Written in Elven): Charm Monster (4th lvl)
• Scroll of Divine Spells (Written in Common): Hold Person (2nd lvl), Protection from Evil* (1st lvl), Bless* (2nd lvl)
• Scroll of Divine Spells (Written in Elven): Resist Cold (1st lvl), Delay Poison (2nd lvl), Cure Light Wounds* (1st lvl)
• Three treasure maps
• Ring of Invisibility
• Ring of Invisibility
• Ring of Protection +2
• Ring of Command Human
• Rod of Cancellation
• Staff of Healing
• Wand of Fear
• Wand of Device Negation
• Wand of Illusion
• Boots of Levitation
• Cube of Frost Resistance
• Elven Cloak
• Helm of Teleportation
• Apparatus of the Crab
• Necklace of Adaptation
• Sword +1
• Sword +1, +3 versus undead
• Sword +2
• Sword +3
• Sling +1
• Spear +1
• Axe +2
• Leather Armor +3
• Plate Armor +2
• Plate Armor +3
• Shield +1
• Shield +3
• Arrows +2 (Quantity: 6)
• Crossbow Bolts +1 (Quantity: 7)
• Crossbow Bolts +3 (Quantity: 4)

Additionally, they tested the god's shoes, which appear to be boots of speed, yet cause no tiredness from walking; they also seem to prevent missteps. The staff, when Elenora tested it, caused a great glowing angel to appear in the sky; she could control it, but it didn't seem to do any healing. They decided to wait until they were out of town to do any more testing. Caranthir ordered room service, then started working on getting some funds together, by selling swords and so forth.

The group split up, one (with Caranthir) to look for treasure, and one (with Quetgar) to check on his hideout. Quetgar had no trouble getting there, and found his base cleared and clean. He paid his henchman, and named his golem Zud.

Caranthir caused a little consternation by transforming into a dragon, but managed to make it to a pirate treasure: a set of +4 bracers, and a cube of force. Flying on, they came to the Airwalker Tower; deciding to forgo a show of force, Caranthir, Rhea, Elanora, Luce, Gróin, Laurita, and Mor Gibs met with Brother Bartimaeus, leader of the Airwalkers.

He seemed to know why they were there, and did not stop them when they attempted to destroy the stone. They found the stone was light as a feather, but unaffected by gravity. Gróin Communed with Thor; busy as he was, it took a while, but eventually, Gróin was able to ask, "Will the airwalkers lose their powers if the stone is destroyed?"

The answer came back: No. Luce, holding the stone, attempted to leave, and the stone shattered into dust, and vanished. The first scale was destroyed!

Caranthir wondered aloud if perhaps the good Brother was more than he seemed. With a wink, Bartimaeus shapeshifted into that of a bronze dragon, and back again. He bid them farewell, as the team flew to meet the others. They passed a few creatures, but nothing that gave them so much as a fight.

Caranthir chose a plot of ground north of the Winter Fae for his domain, and began at once planning and clearing ground. The party cleared out a small team of bugbears, as well as a barrow full of three wights; however, Caranthir found a small cave, home to four gold dragons who were not terribly pleased to have him nearby. Eventually, a diplomatic solution was reached, and the dragons agreed to leave Caranthir alone.

The team also found a few more magical items and treasure, among them a Scroll of Ward against Lycanthropes, some +1 Ring Mail armor, a potion, a ring, a sword, a Scroll of Ward against Magic, and a Scroll of Ward against Undead.

Finally, the land was surveyed to be worth 7gp per family; the entire 24 mile hex was claimed as Caranthir's land (6 6-mile hexes), and as such requires a fortress worth 480,000 gp to protect the area. 50 mercenaries, a level 1 fighter, and a level 3 fighter volunteered to join them.

• XP from Encounters:
  • 307 brigands (passed)
  • 6 pegasus (passed)
  • 13 Hippogriphs (fled)
  • 1 Wyvern (fled)
  • 4 purple worms (ran away)
  • 4 Gold Dragons (peaceful... so far)
  • 7 bugbears (455)
  • 3 wights (240)
• XP from Treasure:
  • 2,000 Electrum (1,000 gp)
  • 2 barrels of fine spirits or liquor (400gp, 32 stone)
  • 8 crates of armor and weapons, (1800gp, 80 stone)
  • 6 crates of glassware (1200gp, 30 stone)
  • 9 crates of monster parts (2700gp, 45 stone)
  • 2 sets of engraved teeth (140gp)
  • 6 glass eyes (360gp)
  • 13 bone fetishes and figurines (247gp)
  • 1 bronze trinket (30 gp)
  • 1 Glass trinket (130 gp)
• Total XP: 1695
• Additional XP once items are sold: 7007 (187 stone)
• XP per PC: 161
• XP per Henchthing: 81